The best Christmas gift for a friend is one that fits the friendship. For a best friend of fifteen years, that might be a keepsake you fill with photos. For the friend you only see a couple of times a year, it might be a box of treats that turns up on her doorstep. For the name you pulled out of a hat, it’s something thoughtful that doesn’t stretch the budget.
Not sure where to start? Below you’ll find Christmas gifts for friends sorted by who they are to you and what they like, from best friend gift ideas to picks for the friend who has everything, gifts for a female friend and a male friend, and what to buy when you’ve drawn a name in a gift exchange.
Christmas Gifts for a Best Friend
A best friend has seen you through enough that a generic gift feels wrong. The ones that land are the gifts that say “this is about us,” so these two are built around that.
Memories Lane Photo Gift Box
A mahogany box with a lid that shows off five of your favorite photos, filled with cocoa, cookies and sweets. The gift is really the pictures you choose, so it feels personal without needing a long card, and she can keep it on a shelf long after Christmas.
Merry Christmas Mug Gift Set
A 16oz stainless steel mug and straw set, with Almond Roca, shortbread and truffle cocoa. It suits the best friend who always has a drink in hand: she can start on the cocoa straight away, then use the mug every day, which keeps you on her mind all year.
What to Buy Friends Who Have Everything
The friend who has everything has usually stopped wanting more stuff. What she’s unlikely to turn down is something to share: a tower of treats to put out when people drop by, or a basket to open with her family on Christmas Eve. Food gifts also solve the problem of guessing her taste, and there’s nothing to return, store or find space for.
Holiday Cheers Gift Tower
Six red and gold boxes stacked and tied with an organza bow, filled with a mix of chocolates, popcorn, pretzels and savory snacks. It looks like a centerpiece before it’s even opened, and the variety means there’s something for whoever drops by. One loyal customer sends these to around 25 people every year and says she’s never been disappointed.
Merry Christmas Gift Basket
A red and gold keepsake basket with a gold satin bow, packed with twelve treats, from Lindt truffles and Almond Roca to wafer rolls and a creme brulee snack mix. The sweet and savory mix works whatever she likes, so it’s the one to choose when you want to go big without guessing.
Christmas Gifts for a Female Friend and a Male Friend
Sometimes it helps to start with what your friend is like rather than what you should buy. Here are two gifts for friends with very different tastes.
For the friend who never stops: Natural Bath and Body Spa Gift Set
A whole at-home spa night in one box, with body oil, bath salts, a shower steamer, a clay face mask, a soy candle and more, all natural. There’s nothing to plan, so it’s an easy way to give the friend who looks after everyone else a night off.
For the friend who likes a laugh: Personalized Prescription Beer Mug
A 25 oz glass mug engraved with the Rx symbol and any name you choose, up to 12 characters. It’s personal without being sentimental, and it’s dishwasher safe, so it actually gets used. It ships with standard delivery only (a 7 business day window), so order early.
Drawn a Name? Gifts for a Friend Gift Exchange
Pulling a name from the hat is a special kind of pressure, especially when it’s someone you only half know. The safest approach is a gift that’s easy to love, doesn’t get too personal and fits the group’s spend limit. Treats tick all three boxes, because almost everyone likes something sweet or salty.
Snackers Heaven Holiday Gift Set
Dilettante chocolate truffles, caramel popcorn, mint chocolate chip cookies, Himalayan chips and vanilla caramels in a compact gift set. The sweet and salty mix means you don’t need to know their taste, and it looks like a proper gift without going over the top. It’s also kosher certified, which helps if you’re unsure about dietary needs.
Need more options for your group? Browse our budget-friendly Christmas gifts.
Long-Distance Friends: Gifts That Arrive Right to Their Door
When a friend lives far away, a gift can say what you can’t do in person, which is that you’re thinking of them. The best way to do it is to ship it straight to them, so you never need to wrap, mail or hope it arrives on time.
Christmas Thinking of You Gift Tower
Six gourmet treats stacked across four reusable red and green boxes with a red organza bow. One customer said opening it feels like unwrapping four presents at once, which is hard to get from a card. You can add a bottle of wine or champagne at checkout.
A note on timing: order by December 23 at 2pm EST for Christmas delivery. Most of our gifts let you choose an exact delivery date at checkout, so you can time it for Christmas Eve or any day that suits their plans. Just enter their address and add your message.
What’s the Hottest Christmas Gift This Year? Our Customers’ Pick
We can’t speak for the whole market, but we can tell you what our customers are choosing this season.
Merry Christmas Holiday Sleigh
A red metal sled embossed with “Merry Christmas” and finished with copper runners, piled with eleven treats including Lindt truffles, caramel popcorn and Almond Roca. It looks like Christmas the moment it arrives, and the sled can stay out as decoration for years afterward.
Personalized Gifts for Friends
Some friends would rather have something with their name on it than a box of treats. A personalized gift tells them you chose it for them, and it’s usually kept far longer than the Christmas wrapping.
Embroidered Name Sherpa Blanket
A 50" x 60" throw, micro mink on one side and cozy sherpa on the other, with their name embroidered on it. It’s machine washable and made for the sofa, and it pairs well with a treat gift if you want to give them something to open and something to keep. Available in navy or beige.
Make Any Gift Personal With a Card
You don’t need a name embroidered on a gift to make it personal, because a thoughtful card can do the same job. Even a simple basket or tower feels chosen for your friend once you know what to write in a Christmas card: a few honest lines about what they mean to you, a favorite memory, or a joke only the two of you get.
Choose a Gift That Sounds Like Them
The best gift for a friend doesn’t have to be big or expensive. It just has to sound like them: the photos from your last trip, the drink they’re always holding, the blanket with their name on it. Pick the one that fits, send it with a note, and it will land well.
Ready to choose? Browse our gift baskets for friends and have it delivered right to their door.
